This is a zine dedicated to black metal written by a follower of the left hand path, This zine has been around in a different format for a while and I have decided to make an edition for www.blogger.com, for more information email occultblackmetalzine@yahoo.com, new albums as well as classic albums will be reviewed on here as long as their good quality black metal,

Friday, December 30, 2016

NNGNN are a band from Scotland that plays a very raw and aggressive form of black metal with elements of thrash and this is a review of their 2016 ep "Forceful Blasphemy" which was released by Eldritch Lunar Miasma Records.

Drum beats and heavy riffing which also uses a decent amount of tremolo picking to get a raw feeling starts off the ep while the vocals are grim yet high pitched black metal screams and the music is also heavily influenced by both the first and second wave eras of the genre and the faster sections also use a great amount of blast beats.

At times first wave style grunts are utilized and the music is mostly rooted in both the 80's and the 90's without any modern influences and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and when guitar leads are utilized they bring in more of a dark yet melodic style and elements of thrash can be heard at times and all 3 of the tracks stick to a very raw and heavy musical direction.

NNGNN plays a music style that takes a very raw second wave style of black metal and mixes it in with the first wave style along with a touch of thrash to create a very heavy recording, the production sounds very raw and old school while the lyrics cover blasphemy, opposition and empowerment themes.

In my opinion NNGNN are a very great sounding raw mixture of black and thrash metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Destruction Of Ingrained Delusion". 8/5 out of 10.

This is a review of another earlier from from the United Kingdom's Forefather which was also in the Anglo Saxon Metal style and the album was originally released in 2002 and called "Engle Tocyme" and will be re-issued in 2017 by Heidens Hart Records.

Nature sounds, keyboards and clean singing vocals and chants start off the album and they also mix in with the heavier and melodic sound a few seconds later and the music also brings in more of a traditional pagan metal style and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

Spoken word parts can be heard in some of the songs and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very melodic fashion and when the music speeds up a decent amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which shows them adding in a touch of their more earlier black metal influenced style.

Grim black metal screams are also used on a couple of the later tracks and some songs also bring in a small amount of clean guitars while one of the tracks is a keyboard instrumental while the following tracks show the music making a return back to a heavier musical direction and a couple of the songs are very long and epic in length and they also bring in another instrumental which is more guitar orientated.

On this recording Forefather went for more of a melodic style of pagan metal with only a small amount of black metal influences, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Anglo Saxon History and Pride themes.

In my opinion this was another great sounding recording from Forefather and if you are a fan of pagan metal, you should check out this re-issue. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Iron Hand" "Fifeldor" and "Loyalty BOund". 8 out of 10.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Arria Paetus are a band from Anchorage, Alaska that plays a very raw and misanthropic form of black metal and this is a review of their self titled 2016 album which was released by Lycaean Triune.

A very dark yet heavy sound starts off the album along with some grim yet high pitched black metal screams a few seconds later and the riffs also bring in a decent amount of morbid sounding melodies and demonic growls are also used in some parts of the songs and when the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard.

During the faster sections of the songs the music brings in a very raw black metal feeling that is heavily influenced by the French LLN style and the guitar solos and leads are done in a very dark and melodic fashion while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and some of the tracks are very long and epic in length and clean guitars can also be heard briefly in certain sections of the recording and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them.

In my opinion Arria Paetus are a very great sounding raw and misanthropic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Slash Your Flesh, Drink To Death" "Of Concrete And Loss" and "Cave". 8 out of 10.

Arria Paetus plays a style of black metal that is very raw and old school in the French tradition of the genre, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover misanthropy, social repulsion and alcohol themes.

Byyrth are a duo from San Francisco, California that plays a very raw form of occult black metal and this is a review of their self titled 2016 demo which was released by Grey Matter Productions.

A very dark yet melodic and lo-fi sound starts off the demo along with some high pitched black metal screams a few seconds later before going into a very fast and raw musical direction which also utilizes a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats and you can also hear a great amount of second wave influences in the bands musical style.

At times the vocals get very grim and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very dark yet melodic style and you can also hear touches of some of the early bay area black metal in the bands musical style and clean guitars are used briefly on the last track.

Byyrth plays a style of occult black metal that is very dark, raw and lo-fi sounding, the production also sticks to a very dark and raw sound while the lyrics cover Vampirism, occultism, Paganism, Left Hand Path, death, hatred and suicide themes.

In my opinion Byyrth are a very great sounding raw, occult black metal duo and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this demo. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Unhuman". 8 out of 10.

Mosaic are a band from Germany that plays an experimental form of black metal and this is a review of their 2014 ep "Old Man's Wynter" which was re-issued in 2016 with some bonus tracks that also turns the newer version into a full length.

Nature sounds and bells start off the album along with some ambient style synths a few seconds later and spoken word parts can also be heard at times and after the intro the music goes into more of a heavier and melodic musical direction along with some angry black metal screams and the solos and leads also use a great amount of melody.

Spoken word parts and atmospheric sounds can be heard at times and clean playing can also be heard in certain sections of the recording along with the music being very experimental and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and a great portion of the tracks a re very long and epic in length.

During the faster sections of the songs a great amount of blast beats and tremolo picking can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw black metal feeling and clean singing is also added into some parts of the songs and when acoustic guitars are utilized they bring elements of neo folk onto the recording and the tracks also bring in a great amount of diversity along with the heavier songs also bringing in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and as the album progresses the music starts adding in more avant garde influences and female vocals are also used briefly on the last track.

Mosaic plays a musical style that is mostly rooted in a more modern and atmospheric black metal style while the experimental, avant garde, ambient and neo folk elements gives the songs a lot more originality, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover nature, mysticism and occultism themes.

In my opinion Mosaic are a very great sounding experimental black metal band and if you are looking for something original and different, you should check out this re-issue. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Onset Of Wyntar" "White Gloom" and "Silver Nights". 8 out of 10.

This is a review of a 3 way split between Italy's Cromia Oscura, Velchains and Kratos called "Ypogeios" which was released by Lupus Niger Prod. And Distro and we will start off the review with Cromia Oscura a band that plays a mixture of black and thrash metal.

Their side of the split starts out with a very heavy guitar sound before going into a very fast direction that also uses a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats which also gives the music more of a raw feeling and the vocals are mostly grim black metal screams and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

Elements of thrash can be heard in some of the riffing and there is also a brief use of melodic chanting and the riffs also use a decent amount of melody at times and demonic growls are also used briefly and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on their side of the recording and one track also brings in a brief use of clean guitars and back up gang shouts.

Cromia Oscura plays a musical style that takes a modern style of black metal and mixes it with thrash to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover death, suicide, voidness and satanism themes.

In my opinion Cromia Oscura are a very great sounding mixture of black and thrash metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this band and their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Blackened Storm" and "Terrestrial Dawn Of Claustrophobia".

Next up is Velchains a band that plays a very dark form of black metal.

Their side of the split starts out with a very heavy yet melodic guitar sound along with a brief use of deep screams before adding in spoken word parts and the guitar leads also use a decent amount of melody and when the music speeds up a decent amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which also gives the music more of a raw black metal feeling.

Death metal influences can be heard in some of the riffing and their songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and there tracks there is also a brief use of atmospheric sounds and one of the tracks also brings in a brief use of clean singing while the last track also adds in a small amount of clean guitars and spoken word parts.

Velchains plays a style of black metal that is very raw and aggressive while also mixing in influences from death metal, the production on their side of the recording sounds very powerful while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion Vlechains are a very great sounding raw and aggressive black metal band with a touch of death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band and their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Ponitifex Volcani.

Closing the split is Kratos a band that plays a very raw and occult form of black metal.

Their side of the split starts out with a very fast and melodic black metal sound that also uses a great amount of blast beats before adding in deep screams and elements of death metal can also be heard at times and after awhile high pitched screams are added into t he music and the tremolo picking also gives the songs more of a raw feeling.

Throughout their side of the recording you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and all 3 of their songs stick to a heavy musical direction while also being very old school with some 80s and 90's influences, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover Occultism themes.

In my opinion Kratos are a very great sounding occult black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Deus Occultus".

In conclusion I feel this is a very great sounding split representing 3 different styles of black metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this split. 8 out of 10.

Mors Spei are a solo project from Italy that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very raw and old school form of black metal and this is a review of his 2016 album "Necrocosmos Genesis" which was released by Lupus Niger Prod. And Distro.

A very dark and distorted intro along with some drum beats and synths start off the album before going into a very fast and raw musical direction which also utilizes a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats while the vocals a re grim yet high pitched black metal screams and the music is more rooted in t he 90's second wave tradition.

When guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very dark style and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and some of the tracks are very long and epic in length and some of the riffs also bring in a small amount of dark sounding melodies and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording.

Mors Spei creates another recording that remains true to the raw and old school style of black metal that was presented on his previous releases, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover dark, hateful, satanism, and anti religion themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Mors Spei and if you are a fan of raw and old school black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Born To Hate" "The Litanies Of Satan" and "Necrocosmos Genesis". 8 out of 10.

Gort are a band from Italy that plays a very raw and misanthropic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2016 album "Pestiferous Worms Miasma" which was released by Lupus Niger Prod. And Distro.

Atmospheric synths start off the album along with some acoustic guitars a few seconds later before going into more of a dark, heavy and melodic direction which also introduces high pitched black metal screams onto the recording and when the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which also gives the recording more of a raw feeling.

All of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them while the solos and leads are done in a very melodic direction and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the music is more rooted in the old school second wave style of the genre and as the album progresses some songs also mix in more of a depressive vibe and clean playing is also introduced on a few later tracks and there is also a brief use of clean singing on a couple of songs and growls can also be heard briefly and whispers a re introduced on the last track.

Gort plays a style of black metal that is very raw and misanthropic sounding while also not afraid to adding different things into their style, the production sounds very dark, heavy and raw while the lyrics cover hate, war, destruction and misanthropy themes.

In my opinion Gort are a very great sounding raw and misanthropic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Old Bleeding Scars" "The Misanthrope" and "Dawn Of Worms". 8 out of 10.

Athos are a solo project from Greece that plays a very raw form of black metal and this is a review of his 2016 album "Noht Leraport" which was released by Symbol Of Domination Productions.

Nature sounds and bells start off the album along with some melodic chanting in the background and after the intro the music goes into a faster direction that also uses a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats which also gives the music more of a raw feeling while the lyrics are high pitched black metal screams and they also keep the chants from the intro and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording.

Throughout the recording you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the guitar leads are done in a very melodic fashion and the riffs also bring in a great amount of melody and most of the music is heavily rooted in the 90's second wave style and there is also a brief use of ritualistic spoken word parts and clean singing and one track also brings in a few seconds of demonic growls and synths are used in the background for a few seconds on the last track.

Athos plays a style of black metal that is very traditional and raw in the 90's second wave tradition, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in Greek and cover Anti Religion and Ancient Pride themes.

In my opinion Athos are a very great sounding raw, melodic and old school black metal solo project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Enaht Ep Iesp Etsip" "Samset Hats Sitop Aasem" and "Anap Uotif Ort Sipei". 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Miserist are a solo project from Australia that plays a mixture of black, death metal, noise, drone and industrial and this is a review of his self titled ep which will be released in 2017 by Krucyator Productions.

Atmospheric drones start off the ep along with some distorted sounds which also leads up to a heavier musical direction that is also very heavily influenced by death metal and the riffs also bring in a decent amount of melody and when the music speeds up a great amount of programmed blast beats can be heard.

During the faster sections of the songs a great amount of tremolo picking can be heard which also gives the song more of a raw black metal feeling and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the tracks also mix in elements of noise and industrial and all of the music is instrumental and synths can also be heard in certain sections of the recording and the last track is very long and epic in length.

Miserist plays a musical style that is all instrumental and takes black, death metal, drone, industrial and noise and mixes them together to create a sound of his own and the production also sounds very powerful.

In my opinion Miserist are a very great sounding instrumental mixture of black, death metal, drone, industrial and noise and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this solo project. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Miserist" and "Lung Rust". 8 out of 10.
https://krucyator.bandcamp.com/album/miserist-s-t?utm_source=Promo+List&utm_campaign=83cc1493e9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b7d3bffdfc-83cc1493e9-159719745

Aeora are a solo project from Carlinville, Illinois that plays a very melodic and atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of his 2016 album "Perseiderna" which was released by Naturmacht Productions.

Ambient sounds and clean guitars start off and also mixes in with the heavier and more melodic side of the music and when the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which also gives the recording more of a raw feeling while the vocals are mostly grim black metal screams.

Deep growls can also be heard at times and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the music also gets very atmospheric at times and the solos and leads are done in a very melodic direction and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and a great portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length and some songs also bring in a small amount of acoustic guitars and the music also gets very progressive at times and there is also a short keyboard instrumental before closing the album with a heavier track.

Aeora plays a style of black metal that is very epic, melodic, progressive and atmospheric sounding, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover A Moment In Time, Nature, and Quadrinitism themes.

In my opinion Aeora are a very great sounding melodic and atmospheric black metal solos project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Rainflower Crest" "Alpenglow" and "For The Long Road Home". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard f you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
UR is an absolutely new music project, created by three experienced guys inspired by different music genres! With no limits and totally relaxed we created our artistic concept. We started a year ago and for this time we have managed to make some solid tracks, record them and find the
label.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Correct, on 15th December our first record – MCD – “Hail Death” was released under the flag of Arachnophobia Records what makes me very proud! In my opinion it combines styles like Black, Thrash, Doom and even Hard Rock! Despite such a wide range the stuff is consistent and the tracks easily mix with each other what makes the atmosphere of this album unique. While creating I have focused on honest stylish riffs and natural, raw sound, not on technical tricks. It all was recorded perfectly, thanks to Marcin from Left Hand Sound Studio. The result is verysatisfying to me!

3.The band members have also played in other bands, what are some of the things you bring into the music with this group that you were not able to do in the past?
It’s about the way of creating music – there are no limits here! We’ve never worked like this before! First, at home, I prepare the frame, playing riffs I would like to listen to, without thinking if there’s not too much melody, if they’re not too simple etc. Then I come to the rehearsal and I play these riffs to our rhythm section, to do what they want with them. I never know the final effect and I love surprises (hehe). We’re power trio, so the communication is easy. UR is in fact a nice and creative way of spending time!

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
I admit, the lyrics are a hard thing for me. I haven’t written anything for a long time and apparently it became very difficult to me. I haven’t realised, that through all these years I withdrew into myself so I had to look deeply inside and bring it all out. Main subjects are death and loneliness and that would be all I want to say about it now.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'UR'?
UR in dead Sumerian language means a dog, an animal, large carnivore. Look for Assyrian reliefs and you’ll understand that it’s a beast you would never like to meet! (hehe)

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Till now we have only two gigs behind us but the debut in Poznan was very successful. The audience was very interested because before the gig we haven’t shared any tracks in the Internet. Of course, there were some leaks and gossips but in fact most people didn’t know what to expect! It was really exciting experience. It was perfect, though we were nervous like if we were teenagers again! (hehe)

7.Do you have any touring or show pans for the future?
We don’t plan any tour or gigs on festivals till our long play is released. By the end of June we want to play in major cities in Poland in small clubs where it is nice to play and where contact with the audience is the best. At this moment we have only one gig confirmed, in Gdansk, on 28th January but I’m in touch with the promoters so next gigs are just a matter of time. Of course, we’re open to any invitations!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
I am surprised, but the feedback was great from the beginning. First were friends, who could listen to our rehearsals, then there were bosses of labels, all of them really liked our stuff. All the time we get very good reviews from journalists and metal fans from all over the world. It makes me happy, because nowadays, when there are so many great bands it’s really hard to make something that attracts attention!

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Yes. Together with Karol, drummer of UR we play in the band called Bloodstained, which is the ugly fusion of beatdown, hardcore and death metal. We also have a hard rock project, that’s not active at the moment. I also play in Polish black/thrash legend – Bloodthirst. In this year we’ve recorded an MCD “Glorious sinners” and got many good reviews. For our bass player Bony, UR is the only band.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We already have a picture of our close future, because more than half of our long play is ready! I don’t want to reveal too much but I think it will be a continuation of the path we chose on “Hail Death”, so it will be contrast and raw but some of the musical subjects will be definitely more developed.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
There are many bands that inspired us for years. For me classic bands are the most important: Black Sabbath or Deep Purple have formed me as I was a young man and guitarist and because of that I’m so careful when I compose riffs. It doesn’t mean that for 20 years I’ve been listening to the same stuff (hehe), it’s the opposite. At the moment, in my player, you’ll find bands like Nightfell, Cloak, Vircolac or Okkultokrati and latest albums of Polish bands: Furia and Christ Agony – really strong and ambitious!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Hail Death! Let the Darkness Come!

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Cardinal are a band from Bahamas, North Carolina that plays a mixture of experimental, lo-fi, atmospheric, psych black metal and noise and this is a review of their 2016 album "Awiergedon" which was released by NRAE RECORDINGS.

Harsh noises start off the album along with soem avant garde and experimental elements and clean guitars along with some acoustics can be heard at times while they are done in a more primitive manner and after awhile grim black metal screams make their presence known on the recording and the songs also utilize a great amount of static.

A great amount of power electronics and psychedelic rock influences can be heard throughout the recording and the vocals also get very demonic at times and the clean guitars also try to bring in the rawness of black metal without the heaviness and distortion while some tracks sees the music get heavier and add in more tremolo picking and a great portion of the tracks are very short in length and most of the tracks bring in a lo-fi atmosphere and a great amount of diversity can be heard throughout the recording and some songs are also all instrumental.

Cardinal plays a musical style that takes black metal, psychedelia, experimental and noise and mixes them together to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very dark, raw and lo-fi while the lyrics cover Occultism and Dark themes.

In my opinion Cardinal are a very great sounding mixture of experimental, lo-fi, atmospheric, psych black metal and noise and if you are looking for something different and original, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Edsceaftum" "Cascading Will" "Cryptograms Of Desecreation" and "Ethereal Occultation Of The Nine Moons". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?BN: It was something I had kept for some time, some riffs, ideas, and invited some friends to participate after having everything aligned.

2.You have an ep coming out in 2017, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?BN: Completely within what i had in mind, raw, strong melodies and with a strong concept.

3.Your lyrics cover the 4 basic elements of ritual magick, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?BN: Is something that exists thousands of years ago, and occultism has always fascinated me.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Viles Vatae'?BN: Is Latin and means meaningless life or insignificant life.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played and also how would you describe your stage performance?BN: We have not performed live yet .

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the ep is released?BN: We do not have anything planned yet.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork on the album cover?BN:There was nothing definite, just a few loose ideas, I asked Fabio to develop something of that kind and he did a good job, something that pleased everyone who was involved in the project.

8.The ep is going to be released on 'Caverna Abismal Records', are you happy with the support they have given you so far?BN: Definitely. I have been fortunate to work with excellent professionals in all my projects.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?BN: It's the first work with VV so I do not know .. I hope so, but it's something that does not worry me much.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?BN: Honestly, I do not know, I live the present without having great expectations in the future.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?BN: I hear so many bands, I do not even know where I got the influences, maybe a mix of everything.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?BN:Not really , cheers.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Plasmodium are a band from Australia that plays a psychedelic mixture of black and death metal and this is a review of their 2016 album "Entheognosis" which will be released on December 29th as a joint effort between Satanath Records and Cimmerian Shade Recordings.

Clean playing starts off the album and a few seconds later avant garde sounds are added onto the recording along with some drones and the music also gets very experimental at times and after awhile high pitched black metal screams make their presence known along with some drums and deep death metal growls are also used at times.

All of the tracks are very long and epic in length and blast beats are also added into some parts of the songs and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording and synths are also added into some parts of the music and spoken word parts also are used at times.

A great amount of psychedelic elements can be heard quite a bit throughout the recording and the sounds of human torture can also be heard at times and during the faster sections of the songs a great amount of tremolo picking can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw black metal feeling and one of the tracks is instrumental along with some parts having an improv style to them.

Plasmodium plays a musical style that take the rawness and heaviness of black and death metal and mixes it with improv, psychedelic, experimental and avant garde elments to create something original, the production has a very powerful sound to them while the concept of the music seems to alchemy themed.

In my opinion Plasmodium are a very great sounding psychedelic mixture of black and death metal and if you are looking for something that is different and can never fit in with the mainstream, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Limbic Disassociatian" and "Hermaphrodisac". 8 out of 10.

Mustan Kuun Lapset are a band from Finland that plays a mixture of dark and black metal and this is a review of their album "Saatto" which will be released in 2017 by Inverse Records.

Atmospheric sounding synths start off the album and after the intro the music gets heavier while also introducing melodic guitar leads onto the recording and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and acoustic guitars can also be heard in certain sections of the recording and synths mix in with the heavy parts.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams and deep growls and the riffs also use a great amount of melody and the music also incorporates a great amount of Finnish 90's dark metal influences while also sounding very modern at the same time and all most the songs stick to either a slow or mid paced musical direction.

There is also a brief use of blast beats on a couple of songs and a couple of tracks also brings in elements of folk music and some of the solos and leads also have a traditional metal feeling to them at times and when the music finally speeds up it uses tremolo picking to give the song more of a raw black metal feeling and one track also introduces female vocals onto the recording and the last track is long and epic in length which also uses a small amount of stringed instruments and clean singing male vocals.

Mustan Kuun Lapset plays a musical style that takes dark and black metal to create a melodic sound of their own, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics are written in Finnish and cover poetic themes.

In my opinion Mustan Kunn Lapset are a very great sounding mixture of dark and black metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Peikonmieli" "Sudenima" and "Saatto". 8 out of 10.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Ande are a solo project from Belgium that has been featured before in this zine and plays an atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of his self released album "Het Gebeente" which will be released in 2017.

Tragic sounding keyboards start off the album and after the intro the music goes into a very fast and raw direction which also uses a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats while the vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording.

Throughout the tracks you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the riffs also use a decent amount of melody and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they done in more of a modern, melodic and atmospheric style of the genre and some of the tracks are very long and epic in length and some tracks also mix in second wave black metal influences and there is also a brief use of clean guitars before returning back to a heavier direction and synths along with ambient elements are added onto the last track and the song is also all instrumental.

Ande creates a recording that remains true to the atmospheric style of black metal from his previous release while also mixing it in with the rawness of the second wave which also makes the songs stand out a bit more, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in the musicians native tongue and cover dark themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Ande and if you are a fan of raw and atmospheric black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Argwaan" and "Leeg". 8 out of 10.

Infernal Angels are a band from Italy that plays an occult mixture of black and death metal and this is a review of their album "Ars Goetia" which will be released in 2017 by My Kinddom Music.

Nature sounds and bells start off the album and after a few seconds ritualistic synths are added onto the recording along with some clean guitars and after the intro the music goes into a very fast and raw black metal direction which also uses a decent amount of tremolo picking and blast beats as well as some deep screams.

A great amount of melody can be heard in the guitar riffing and the songs also mix in a decent amount of death metal elements and throughout the recording you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the guitar leads are also done in a very melodic fashion and one track also brings in a brief use of clean singing.

Some of the songs also brings in session work form members of Ecnephias, Frostmoon Eclipse and Black Faith and there is also a brief use of traditional black metal screams and one track also brings in a brief use of ritualistic and tribal style drum beats before returning back to a heavier direction and some of the guitar leads also bring in an old school extreme metal style and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording and the last track is very long and epic in length.

Infernal Angels plays a musical style that takes a very raw and melodic style of occult black metal and mixes it with death metal to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very dark, raw and heavy while the lyrics have a concept to them with every song paying homage to a Goetic demon.

In my opinion Infernal Angels are a very great sounding occult mixture of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Vine: Destroyer Of The World" "Bael: The Fire Devour Their Flesh" "Zagon: The Alchemist" and "Beleth: Lord Of Chaos And Spirals". 8/5 out of 10.

Black Anvil are a band from New York that has been featured before in this zine and plays ba very modern style of black metal on this recording and this is a review of their album "As Was" which will be released in 2017 by Relapse Records.

A very dark yet heavy sound starts off the album along with melodic guitar leads also being introduced onto the recording and the riffs also use a decent amount of dark sounding melodies and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on all of the tracks and the vocals are grim yet high pitched black metal screams.

At times the vocals bring in a great amount of clean singing along with a few growls and most of the tracks are very long and epic in length and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats and tremolo picking can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw feeling and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

Some songs also bring in a small amount of clean playing and acoustic guitars and you can also hear touches of post hardcore in certain sections of the recording and as the album progresses prog rock style synths can also be heard briefly. as well as some thrash influenced riffing while some of the leads add in more classic metal touches and on track also brings in slide guitars and they also bring in an acoustic instrumental before closing the album with a heavier track.

Black Anvil creates a recording that is still very heavily rooted in a modern black metal style while also getting a lot more melodic and progressive this time around, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover hatred, reality, and darkness themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Black Anvil and if you are a fan of this band, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "May Her Wrath Be Just" "As An Elder Learned Anew" and "Ultra". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

Derhead is an avantgarde black metal band from Genoa, Italy. The project has born to express something personal, intimate and intense, beyond ties and compromises of a band, and for this reason it is a solo project in which I write, play and produce the whole material. Although Derhead actually started in 2001 I recorded just two demos and one EP “VIA” released this year for Via Nocturna.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

The form of my music is mainly black metal, but that you can hear different elements inside. Above all I like to find the balance between contrasting elements: melody and brutality, ambient moments and aggressive blast beats, and so on. I guess that the avantgarde side of the project is revealed in the freedom of the song's structure, in the melody's construction and in some not tipically black metal arrangement.

3.You recorded your first demo in 2003 and then waited 10 years later to record another one, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time span?

The project started in 2001, when I played as bass player in a gothic metal band. In those years I missed some aggressive aspects in music and so I began this project. Then, due to the activity with other bands and several experiences in other kinds of genres, I had to suspend the project for a long period. In 2013 I felt the need to express myself in total freedom and for this reason Derhead has been resurrected... I think this pause and these experiences far away from black metal helped me to grew up as a musician and to find something fresh for this project.

4.Your lyrics are very philosophical, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in philosophy?

I didn't study Philosophy actually but Art and Design. But the obvious connections among these disciplines take me to reading books about philosophy, psychology, sociology and everything that, in different perspectives, tries to understand man and his universe. Maybe it is the desire to go beyond the image and try to reach the life that there's beyond the representation. So I’m just curious and I like to follow the connections among stories, personalities, thoughts, images… Everything is connected, but there are infinite points of views, often contrasting, there are a lot of answers for the same questions. Knowledge of these aspects is a way to know himself and to create your own scale of values for live with others.In my lyrics I simply try to hold the thought of a moment with a phrase, a word, a symbolic image. My lyrics are a sort of personal diary in which I note ideas and considerations about my path. “VIA”, the title of the new EP, means indeed “path”.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Derhead'?

It means “the head” with the article in German (just because it has a good sound for me!). Head, in sense of Mind, is our key for the comprehension of rational facts, but is also the element by which in some way you can get close to all irrational things, in every sense you intend this term, metaphysical or psychological. I’m fascinated by this themes, I believe that mind is the “real” world of every man.

6.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to remain solo?

I prefer that Derhead remain a solo project, I live it as a sort of alter ego rather than a band. I have other two bands and I can interact and compare myself to other musicians. I bring all those experiences in Derhead. By the other side, this project gives me the freedom to study, experiment and face problems as a producer and musician without accepting compromises. Moreover, perform and recording by himself is a very interesting experience, you must have a wider vision of your music.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of avantgarde and black metal?

I released my demos on youtube just in January 2016, it is too few time to have a realistic perception of this. Anyway I generally received good feedbacks from who has found my project. So far it’s enough for me.

8.Have you ever worked with any other bands or musical projects?

Yes, I played in some metal bands in my city, nothing so important, to be honest. The main experience was in "The Void", a gothic metal band active in early years of 2000. Now I play as guitarist in an alternative/wave band named "Katiusha" and in an electro-acustic project named "Dual" produced by EVES Music. Every project is a way to express different sides of me and a stimulating way to share experience and learn from other guys.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?

It’s difficult to say, this EP contains also the 2 demos as bonus tracks and you can hear that my style has changed in the years. What I have clear is that Derhead is the representation of just some sides of me, and this is what I want to express. Maybe the form can change, but I believe that could be in sense of an evolution rather than a revolution. The new material I wrote so far is quite similar, but a bit bolder, maybe more conceptual in a certain sense.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I lived the black metal's years among the last ’90 and early 2000, and this is my background. They were years of great contamination: I loved bands like Aborym, Dodheimsgard, Anaal Nathrakh, Thorns and all those similar extreme experiences. I also loved all the bands who have gone beyond genres like Ulver, Manes, Solefald, Thee Maldoror Kollective just to name a few. Nowadays my inspiration comes from bands like Deathspell Omega, Diapsiquir, Peste noire, Nightbringer, Leviathan. Anyway I listen a lot of music, not only in metal scene, and everything can be an influence for me.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I work as a designer and it is also a great passion which has to be cultivated by reading, visiting exhibitions, museums etc. When it is possible I organize some travel, because I’m always in search of new inputs for my job, my music and my life and I think travelling is the best way.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I can just advice to check out my bandcamp: https://derhead.bandcamp.com to have an idea of my music and to thank you for this space.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Many things have been achieved, as we are individuals that can’t rest in one place for a very long time. We have been researching consciously and unconsciously the abyss in ourselves. Some of us turned mad others faced a more mundane life after Deathprayer Evangelium. Musically there has been no activity for a long time. Initially Arkhaeon was laid to rest for an indefinite amount of time as it was told what had to be said. How can we speak if there are no words left?

Around the end of 2015 the idea caught fire to create something new with Arkhaeon but it took several months of empty thoughts until finally the lightning struck our hearts. Out of nowhere a single word appeared and everything suddenly made sense. The concept was created along with the musical idea in just a single moment after he whispered the term “Beyond”.

Everything following this epiphany was mere manual labour. It is by far not our first recording so we could proceed very fast with setting the groundwork for the second album. Everything fell in place and we didn’t have to waste many thoughts in what is right or wrong. Beyond was born in just a couple of weeks.

2.So far you have released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

The songwriting for both albums was completely different. The goal of Deathprayer Evangelium was to gain an experience based on the creation of the album itself. With Beyond it was the other way around. The idea of the concept and how it should sound in the end came to us in a second. We were struggling to find a proper lyrical concept for an upcoming recording for a few months and suddenly it was here while Deathprayer Evangelium was written over several years and always modified during this time.

Musically the first record is more „Black Metal“ as all tracks have typical Black Metal instruments. On Beyond about half of the album is based on experimental ambient and ritualistic soundscapes. We already fused both styles on Deathprayer Evangelium but this time we took it to the next level. That is also one of the reasons Beyond only has one track. We wanted to do that on the first album as well but it was naturally separated into different tracks. Beyond is one, from the beginning to the end just like it was supposed to be. Disrupting the natural flow of the music would have torn the whole purpose apart.

3.Your lyrics are in more of an occult and left hand path tradition, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

We can't agree to that statement. We may be influenced by occult and LHP teachings but so are we by Catholicism. Does that make us a Christian band? We consume everything that allows us to gain a clearer sight. Be it art, music, books, events, history, crimes, discussions, and sometimes even concerts. The output in form of an album is the result of all that. We never felt attracted to a predefined doctrine but rather wanted to create an ideology on our own. All in all we could agree to the fact that Deathprayer Evangelium was influenced by occult teachings but Beyond is different. Of course there still are parts of this influence, as well as for example traditional Hindu worship. But the lyrical concept is based on thoughts that are independent from any particular spiritual current. Why should we confine ourselves to one ideology when all paths lead to God?

Anyway back to your question. Beyond deals with the inner struggle of a human that is aware of the rules of life and is trying to break them to achieve spiritual and personal growth. If you read the lyrics you might notice contradictions and many questions. The thought was to create a confrontation between a rational, modern worldview clashing with a spiritual, religious ideology. Both can be very much alike but are also extremely different. Arkhaeon raises questions rather than providing answers. We are not seeing ourselves as priests or occult teachers as our truth is only applicable to us. We know that one can truly find salvation on the inside or in words already spoken: „Who looks outside, dreams: who looks inside, awakes“. We believe that this sums up appropriately what we want to say and it shows some of our influences.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Arkaeon'?

First of all the name is Arkhaeon and it is a combination of different words that together form a bigger meaning. We don’t think talking about names is of any importance. Despite the similarity we were not aware of the first Mitochondrion album back when we created it, so it doesn’t come from there.

5.So far the line up has not been announced publicly,do you feel this adds more of a dark atmosphere to the music?

It may do that but in the end that doesn't matter for us. We don't see egomaniac fame collecting as the goal of our existence. People that want to be rockstars can pursue this dream, but without us. The important things in art are content, intention, vision and devotion. Why should it matter in the bigger context who played what instrument at some random point in time?

6.Are any of the band members open to doing any life shows?

Yes almost all of them are regularly playing live or are active in other bands and some of them even proposed the idea of an Arkhaeon gig. This won't happen.

7.According to the fb page the band refers to itself as a religious organization, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

As mentioned before the idea behind Arkhaeon is not to have fun playing in a band or achieve worldwide success to fuck groupies and eat caviar from golden plates at some huge open air with an idiotic Heavy Metal crowd.

We don't see Arkhaeon as traditional band that meets once a week to rehearse and drink. Some of the contributors don't even know each other, but they all create according to their strength. Doing so they add their input to the greater goal in their very own way. The core of the band sets the course and invites others to participate if they wish. In this sense we think that the category of a religious „organization“ fits much better than that of a band.

8.Both of the albums have been released by 'BergStolz', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It is the only Black Metal label in Switzerland worthy of releasing music. Many here can't seem to appreciate the things BergStolz did during the last 10 years because of differences in opinion regarding mundane political worldviews. This does not concern us and everyone that thinks to attack or ignore us because of that may very well do so. It won't change anything. We were looking for an underground label that doesn't want to involve itself in the creative process and that's what we got.

On a sidenote: The tape versions of both albums have been released on different labels. Deathprayer Evangelium by Sinister Stench and Beyond by Auric Records.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

It was good and it shows that you only have to have a certain design, symbolism and the tag of „Occult Black Metal“ to get some attention. But as mentioned several times before, this is of no value to us.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We don't have any particular plans for now. If we feel the need to create for Arkhaeon we will do so. If not, we will do so with our other projects. Ours lives would be worthless without art.

The only thing certain is that we won't be recording the same album over and over again. Creativity needs to grow constantly and we will always incorporate change in Arkhaeon.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Many, but almost none of them would be classified as Black Metal. A project that we would like to mention is Zero Kama. It was very inspiring to us. Not just because of the vision and the output but also because of the circumstances how this vision was achieved back then. Besides that we can't see the necessity of a list of bands. People will hear that in our music and if not, they'll surely find enough Facebook addicts that tell them what they are supposed to be listening right now.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

This is a review of a split album between Loveland, Colorado's Hespheros and Stygain Mythos called "Dawn Of A Black Sun" which was released in 2015 and consists of some early demo's from both bands which also shared the same singer Joe Pickett (1978-2015) and we will start off the review with Hespheros a band that played a very raw and blasphemous form of black metal.

Their side of the split starts out with dark sounds before going heavier and adding in tremolo picking which also gives the music more of a raw black metal feeling and when the music speeds up a decent amount of blast beats can be heard and the vocals are high pitched screams while the music is mostly rooted in the 90's second wave style.

Both of the songs bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and there is also a brief use of clean guitars along with a small amount of deep growls and you can also hear a decent amount of melody in the guitar riffing and spoken word samples are added onto the second track briefly, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover darkness and blasphemous themes.

In my opinion Hespheros where a very great sounding raw and blasphemous black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Flames Upon The Crucifix".

Next up is Stygian Mythos a band that played a very raw form of occult black metal.

Their side of the split starts out with growling vocals and dark yet melodic and raw guitar riffing before adding black metal screams onto their side of the recording and the music is done in a more old school style of the genre and the riffs also use a decent amount of tremolo picking and when guitar leads re utilized they bring in a decent amount of dark sounding melodies.

When the music speeds up a decent amount of blast beats can be heard and some of the riffing also brings in a depressive feeling at times and there is also a brief use of clean guitars on a couple of the tracks as well as a few seconds later of spoken word parts and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow and fast parts, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover Occultism and Sumerian themes.

In my opinion Stygian Mythos where a very great sounding raw and occult black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Ensepulchered In Silence" and "The Orgies At Sodom".

In conclusion I feel this is a very great sounding split and I would recommend to the fans of the more raw and occult forms of black metal. 8 out of 10.

Tierkrieger are a band from Fort Collins, Colorado that plays a very dark form of black metal that is also heavily influenced by death metal and this is a review of their self released 2016 demo "Tribulation Requiem".

Ritualistic sounds and chants start off the demo along with the music also getting darker and melodic a few seconds later along with a very dark atmosphere and the solos and leads also bring in a decent amount of melody and after awhile deep vocals and black metal screams are added onto the recording.

When the music speeds up a decent amount of blast beats can be heard and the music also brings in a decent amount of death metal influences and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording and some of the slower riffing brings in a touch of doom metal.

Tierkrieger plays a musical style that takes black metal and mixes it with a more dark form of death metal to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very dark while the lyrics covr blasphemous, darkness and occultism themes.

In my opinion Tierkrieger are a very great sounding mixture of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Blasphemonger" and "The Ancient Kult Of Melek Taus". 8 out of 10.